We love the Christmas lights, the smell, the sound and the feelings. And now 208 is over. . We hope for a better 2019. But hope is not a strategy. I mean, more importantly, how are you planning for 2019?
Here’s following through on my promise, that I will be sharing my confidential steps (steps I have successfully used over the years to generate amazing results. And I definitely will use it for 2019). It’s on: How I plan to achieve my own theme for 2019.
First of all, I don’t do New Year resolutions. I do themes; it refers to one or at most 2 central word(s) that guide my year and then with a mind map all around it. I apply the Be-Do-Have model to it (The Be-Do-Have is called the Triad of Manifestation – Things to be, what to do, and what I should have to be those things. Mixing the sequence up gives a different result. It is also metaphorical to the BSQ Pyramid- Think Big (Be), 2. Act Small (Do), and then 3. Move Quick (list out the measurable Haves) layers. And please let it be guided by a theme, one central word for a year).
So, about the theme (2015 was Synergy (the most relationships/alliances was created that year, even our powerful community HBC was formed that year). Well, 2016 was –growth, and 2017 was consistency, 2018 was new chapter (in 2018, I started three new companies. I sat on a few more boards. I proposed and got married that same last year. I moved houses, had new inner circles of friends, signed a bi-weekly radio show agreement, and became a contributing columnist on Business Day. In other words, I opened a set of new chapters in my life I will be building on) and 2019 is the year of Acceleration through Serial Leaps.
You can read, steal some ideas and tag along on this journey of acceleration (which refers to a hybrid of 2016 and 2017 themes, growth (2016) and consistency (2017). So, I will be combining both to birth acceleration-on serial leaps.
Steps to achieving my theme
- Read a book/audio/visuals on your chosen theme *for example since mine is on Acceleration, I am reading a John Maxwell book on Growth, definitely to be completed before the year ends.
- Go on a 3 days fast to commit the theme; in my case’ acceleration’ into his hands.
- In that deep realm, ask for light, discipline, insights and the spirit of follow through. Then, come back to the physical and begin to talk about it, first to yourself and to others (to yourself, it dips it deeper into the realms of consciousness and unconsciousness, and to others, it puts you on the spot to deliver #accountability).
- Re- align the 2018 mind map from new chapter to acceleration. And then create touch points based on your own wheels of life (Say 1.Family: Things you want to be, broken down into sets of things to do and have. You can loop the same process for 2.Spirituality, 3.Health, Business, 4.Finance, 5. Socials, 6. etc).
These wheels of life refers to things you should be (Be better in, be better with). And then create measurable to ‘do’ and have per touch points/ Wheels of life. The high point of these exercises is that you create things you’d do differently. And then create consistent reminders to self as many times as you can remember. I suggest at every quadrant of a daily clock (three hours intervals of a 12 hour clock. It actually does have a spiritual meaning too). To make it effective, try at those points to practice stillness and meditation (not just as a spiritual exercise but as a mental exercise). Each time the process is done, comes as a self-reminder too. Ensure that you practice meditations, affirmations and pausing in between the day through stillness to allow your themes, growth mind maps and the component task catch up with you. After a while the loop becomes automatic and subconscious to you. That’s a great place to be; for 2019.
The secret sauce is in the process of writing down your themes, creating a wheel of focus and then detailing the measurable goals, reviewing them constantly, and making incremental progress on them. I suggest you recite them last thing at night and first thing in the morning as a ritual, habit or part of your prayers.
- Other side hacks may include having daily to do lists as a support to them. Stay on a task or thought/thought process till you’re sure it is done. Consciously, do not allow your mind travel off by any distractions. An example is, if it’s not time to social media or calls, don’t go there and keep a mental timer: stop watch of each activity.
- Find a partner (an accountability partner) that share similar theme.
- Find a quote that summarizes your theme and use it as a DP, wall paper and on the door, and mirror where the sticky notes are.
The truth is that growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong. The consequence can be being busy. In other words, being busy and traffic are side effects of growth. Another thing you need is focus. See what happens when you focus on what excites you. Sacrifice and discipline is the synonym for consistency. Following through even when you don’t feel like is how you break barriers of procrastination and in creating a brand for being consistent. I am glad I have come realize that if I keep doing what is easy, my life may be hard. But I do what is hard, my life will be easy. Focus creates blindness. I mean, it blinds you away from all other distractions.
You can create success or you create excuse, you can’t do both.
Eizu Uwaoma
Uwaoma is a start-up, corporate restructuring and strategy consultant, and wrote via
